Donald Evans (American football)
Donald Lee Evans (born March 14, 1964) is a former American footballer defensive end who played eight seasons in the National Football League (NFL) for the Los Angeles Rams, Philadelphia Eagles, Pittsburgh Steelers & New York Jets.
| No. 66, 77, 34 | |
| Born: | March 14, 1964 Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. |
|---|---|
| Career information | |
| Status | Retired |
| Position(s) | Defensive end Fullback |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
| Weight | 272 lb (123 kg) |
| College | Winston-Salem State |
| NFL draft | 1987 / Round: 2 / Pick: 47 |
| Career history | |
| As player | |
| 1987 | Los Angeles Rams |
| 1988 | Philadelphia Eagles |
| 1990–1993 | Pittsburgh Steelers |
| 1994–1995 | New York Jets |
High school years
Evans attended Athens Drive High School, where he played tailback and linebacker. He also participated in other sports and became a 3-Sport High School Standout Athlete participating in Football, Basketball (power forward) and Track (100m and 200m) sprint.
After graduation, his #31 football jersey was retired, and he was inducted in the Athens Drive High School Sports Hall of Fame.
College tenure
Following his athletic high school career, Evans accepted a football scholarship to be a student-athlete at Winston-Salem State University where he was coached by Coach William Bill Hayes. Evans became a 4-year standout football player/athlete. After playing several positions in college (halfback, tight end, & linebacker), Evans was moved to defensive end his senior year, he had 10 sacks and 65 tackles. After graduating, his alma mater dedicated and named the Donald L. Evans Fitness Center after him.
NFL career
Donald played eight seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Rams in the second round of the 1987 NFL Draft.[1] He played Running Back for the Los Angeles Rams (#34); Linebacker & Defensive End for the Philadelphia Eagles (#77); Defensive End for the Pittsburgh Steelers (#66); and Nose Tackle & Defensive Tackle for the New York Jets (#66).
He played a total of 92 games during his NFL tenure; starting 84 games which equates to stats of starting 91.3% of games played during his career.
Post NFL
Donald is an businessman; he is the Founder and CEO of Nehemiah Builders, Inc which is a Consulting, Design-Build, Renovation and Demolition Company. Business accolades include:
§ NCDOT - BOWD HUB Contractor of the Year
§ Hannah Keith Business/Entrepreneur of the Year
§ Benny Moore Unsung Heroes Businessman of the Year
§ The AME Church Bishop’s Business Award
Seven time Hall of Famer
Evans is a Hall of Famer of the following organizations:
* WSSU Sports Hall of Fame
* CIAA Sports Hall of Fame
* Athens Drive Sports Hall of Fame
* North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame
* George Whitfield Baseball Clinic Hall of Fame
* Ram Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame
* NC HBCU Living Legends Hall of Fame
* Black College Football Hall of Fame (finalist)
References
- "1987 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved 2023-09-25.
https://www.nehemiahbuilders.com/about-us https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/high-school/article173544606.html https://www.billhayes.org/#TRAINERS https://hbcugameday.com/2021/12/01/black-college-football-hall-of-fame-2022-finalists/ https://www.upi.com/Archives/1994/03/14/Donald-Evans-signs-with-Jets/7665763621200/ https://journalnow.com/sports/college/ram-ramblings-donald-evans-heading-to-ciaa-hall-of-fame/article_f3fe8950-17a9-5a99-9470-8f62eb53dbfa.html https://www.wssurams.com/about/hall_of_fame/Hall_of_Fame_Bios/Donal_Evans_Bio https://www.espn.com/nfl/player/bio/_/id/7039/donald-evans https://www.footballoutsiders.com/player/21131/donald-evans https://www.profootballarchives.com/playere/evan01800.html
https://ncshof.org/news-events/
https://www.ramathleticfoundation.org/ram-hof